Mikel Arteta believes unity among Arsenal squad can propel them to Champions League football after vital victory over Manchester United… but admits his side ‘did not deserve’ to win based on chances created
- Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-1 to boost their hopes of a top-four finish
- Victory for the Gunners effectively knocked Man United out of the running
- Arsenal were under pressure before Granit Xhaka’s strike sealed all three points
- Mikel Arteta’s side are fourth ahead of North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s unity is making him believe they can win the race for the top four.
Arsenal effectively knocked Manchester United out of Champions League contention, with a stirring win at the Emirates and leaving the battle for the final place looking like a shootout between them and their north London rivals Tottenham.
Arsenal had to survive some difficult moments against United before Granit Xhaka’s second-half strike, following first-half efforts from Nuno Tavares and Bukayo Saka and Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal for United, sealed all three points.
Mikel Arteta said the unity in his Arsenal squad could propel them to the Champions League
Arsenal had to survive some difficult moments but came through to beat Manchester United
Arteta said: ‘What I see is a team that is so willing, that gives the energy. The cohesion that they have in that stadium is phenomenal and it gives them a chance and it makes me believe we can do it.’
Arteta admitted that on chances ‘we don’t deserve to win’ but Arsenal got the job done to remain in the Champions League hunt.
He said: ‘My belief is that we are going to give it a real go, we can win football matches but the margins are going to be really small and we have to be very aware of that.
Granit Xhaka’s long-range strike sealed all three points for Arsenal as they beat United 3-1
‘Winning and losing in this league and where we are today is defined by the small margins and we have to take the game where we want to win in the 95 minutes.’
Next month’s North London derby looks like it will be increasingly pivotal. Arteta said: ‘It could be a crucial game. Let’s see what happens before that, where both teams are. But of course, that head to head game is going to be really important.
‘This is why we are here. To play big matches that can define big moments. That’s the beauty of this game.’
The victory knocks United out of contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League
